Goodness Prevails in Vegas

Posted on July 28, 2014 by HFN Staff

LAS VEGAS-Five home furnishings companies have been selected as winners of the third semi-annual Global Goodness Awards, recognizing eco-friendly, sustainable and socially responsible activities, to be presented this week at Las Vegas Market.

The winners are Banded, Distinctly Himalayan, Naturepedic, Phillips Collection and Surya. They were selected based on integration of sustainable and socially responsible practices into their businesses and manufacturing processes, and the resulting improvements to the lives of people all over the world.

"Las Vegas Market is proud to support the environmentally friendly and socially conscious activities of companies within the industry," said Dorothy Belshaw, president of Gift & Home Decor, International Market Centers, which owns and operates the show. "Las Vegas Market is pleased to encourage and celebrate companies that are having a positive impact on people and communities all around the globe."

Banded is an accessories supplier that created a comfortable no-slip headband; each headband the company sells provides three meals for a child in Uganda. To date, the company has provided more than 875,000 meals.

Distinctly Himalayan is an accessories company that partners directly with socially conscious artisans, women's collectives and family-run businesses throughout Tibet, India and Nepal, providing stable incomes for hundreds of families. The company's exclusive line of "kooloo" scarves and wraps uses fibers, dying and printing techniques that are eco-friendly, including felted recycled sari silk shrugs; scarves handloomed from sustainable banana plant fibers; and accessories colored with all-natural vegetable dyes and mud-resist block prints on natural fibers.

Mattress maker Naturepedic uses organic raw materials sourced according to strict fair labor and environmental guidelines, allowing products to be certified to international standards. The company actively supports the Amish community, employing Amish craftspeople and donating returned products and unused raw materials for their use. Anticipating future recycling programs, Naturepedic's Lullaby Earth mattresses are made from recyclable #2 and #4 plastics. The company also is a leader in developing safer, greener alternatives to chemical agents for flame retardant and waterproofing uses.

Furniture and accessories manufacturer Phillips Collection uses artisanal techniques in Indonesia to manufacture its Folded Glass tables. The artisans use shards from discarded, recycled Coca-Cola bottles, which are melted over a primitive fire, then folded together and re-melted into molds that become the tops of coffee, side and console tables.

Rug and accessory maker Surya employs 50,000 weavers and artisans in Ugapur, Northern India, supporting economic opportunity for local communities and empowering women by providing fair wages and a safe working environment. Annually, Surya sponsors high school scholarships for 200 Indian girls through East Meets West and works with Askhaya Patra to provide 7,300 rural schoolchildren with nutritious lunches. Surya also sponsors educational and vocational training for 160 students through Project Mala, which also helps provide children with school uniforms, food and medical care, and sports and cultural training. The company uses eco-friendly materials, including natural dyes and renewable plant fibers such as jute and hemp, along with recycled denim, leather and sari silks, in its rugs and home accessories.